(a) Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a liquid crystal display device.
(b) Description of the Related Art
A liquid crystal display device, which is one of the most common types of flat panel displays currently in use, typically includes two display panels having field generating electrodes (such as a pixel electrode, a common electrode, and the like) and a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween.
In the liquid crystal display device, an electric field is generated in the liquid crystal layer by applying a voltage to the field generating electrodes. The electric field determines the alignment of liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer, thereby controlling polarization of incident light passing through the liquid crystal layer so as to display images.
Liquid crystal display devices may be provided in different configurations. In a vertically aligned mode liquid crystal display device, the liquid crystal molecules are aligned such that the long axes of the aligned liquid crystal molecules are perpendicular to the upper and lower display panels when an electric field is not applied. The vertically aligned mode liquid crystal display device is widely used because it has a large contrast ratio and a wide viewing angle.
To implement a wide viewing angle in a vertically aligned mode liquid crystal display device, a plurality of domains having different alignment directions of the liquid crystal may be formed in one pixel.
The plurality of domains may be formed by forming cutouts (such as minute slits) or protrusions on the field generating electrodes, and aligning the liquid crystal in a vertical direction perpendicular to a fringe field using the edges of the cutouts or the protrusions. The fringe field is formed between the field generating electrodes facing the edges of the cutouts or the protrusions.
By aligning the liquid crystal in a vertical direction, the response speed of the liquid crystal is reduced which enables rapid driving of the liquid crystal display device. In particular, high-speed driving of the liquid crystal display device may be achieved by reducing a cell gap corresponding to a thickness of the liquid crystal layer.
However, in some instances, the visibility and transmittance of the liquid crystal display device may deteriorate when the thickness of the liquid crystal layer is reduced.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only to enhance understanding of the background of the inventive concept and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.